Готель з привидами
Chapter XXIII
Forwhatpurposeitwastornoutyoumaydiscoverforyourself,ifyouwill.Readitfirst—atthefifthlinefromthetopofthepage.’
Agnesfelttheseriousnecessityofcomposingherself.’Givemeachair,’shesaidtoHenry;’andIwilldomybest.’Heplacedhimselfbehindherchairsothathecouldlookoverhershoulderandhelphertounderstandthewritingontheleaf.RenderedintoEnglish,itranasfollows:—
Ihavenowcompletedmyliterarysurveyofthefirstfloorofthepalace.Atthedesireofmynobleandgraciouspatron,thelordofthisgloriousedifice,Inextascendtothesecondfloor,andcontinuemycatalogueordescriptionofthepictures,decorations,andothertreasuresofartthereincontained.Letmebeginwiththecornerroomatthewesternextremityofthepalace,calledtheRoomoftheCaryatides,fromthestatueswhichsupportthemantel-piece.Thisworkisofcomparativelyrecentexecution:itdatesfromtheeighteenthcenturyonly,andrevealsthecorrupttasteoftheperiodineverypartofit.Still,thereisacertaininterestwhichattachestothemantel-piece:itconcealsacleverlyconstructedhiding-place,betweentheflooroftheroomandtheceilingoftheroombeneath,whichwasmadeduringthelastevildaysoftheInquisitioninVenice,andwhichisreportedtohavesavedanancestorofmygraciouslordpursuedbythatterribletribunal.Themachineryofthiscuriousplaceofconcealmenthasbeenkeptingoodorderbythepresentlord,asaspeciesofcuriosity.Hecondescendedtoshowmethemethodofworkingit.
